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November 16, 2012

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police
Department West Bureau Homicide Detectives are asking for the public’s
help in identifying a suspect in recent violent street robberies that
resulted in one homicide and other violent shootings.

The
crimes have occurred along an eight mile stretch near Western Avenue
from Hollywood to South Los Angeles. They began last November and the
latest one occurred on October 10, 2012. The suspect is active from
9:30 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The male suspect has been described as having various ethnic
backgrounds, including African American, Hispanic and Middle Eastern.
He is 35 to 45 years of age, 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall, has a
stocky build and usually wears dark clothing. In some of the crimes the
suspect was seen riding a bicycle.

The suspect has been victimizing people near or inside of vehicles on
the street, and anyone who sees him should immediately call police.
Anyone confronted by this suspect should not resist, as he is considered
armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call LAPD’s West
Bureau Homicide at 213-382-9470. During non-business hours or on
weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7. Anyone wishing
to remain anonymous should call Crime stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS
(800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime stoppers by texting to
phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.
All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may
also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department Mission Detectives have identified Miguel Luna, 25, as the man who
kicked in the front door of a home on Sharp Avenue in Arleta around
noon on November 13, 2012. Police have released his photo, which was
retrieved from an IPad left in Luna’s car at the crime scene, in the
hopes that someone will alert police to Luna’s whereabouts.

“It’s often said in forensics that we always leave a little bit of
ourselves behind anywhere we’ve been,” said Lt. Paul Vernon, Commanding
Officer of Mission Detective Division. “But this guy must have set some
record on the variety and amount of evidence he left.”

Luna chose this house despite the several signs posted, warning the
premise is under camera surveillance. He kicked in the door of the home
near high noon, leaving his footprint below the door knob. He began
ransacking a bedroom, not realizing the owner was asleep in another
room. When the owner confronted the burglar, Luna begged him not to
call police then walked to his car, parked in the resident’s driveway.
Luna couldn’t start the car, so we walked back into the home and begged
the owner again not to call police, and claimed that he was a friend of
the owner’s daughter.

The
owner finally chased him out of the home, picked up a hoe from the
yard, and hit Luna over the head. The owner’s wife called police while
Luna lay unconscious for a short time, but he revived and walked away,
leaving his car in the driveway, full of electronic items, probably
stolen from other homes.

Detectives were in the neighborhood and arrived quickly, but Luna was
able to duck away. “It was a treasure trove of evidence,” Lt. Vernon
explained about the 1989 Honda. Detectives found several IPads and one
with Luna’s pictures on it. They also found a traffic citation from the
day before with Luna’s name on it.

“This crime scene was really a study in how to get caught,” Lt. Vernon
explained. Every manner of evidence was present: video surveillance,
blood DNA from the hoe, pictures on the IPad, footprint on the door, a
traffic citation with signature, a car, finger prints, and eyewitness
identification.

“This burglary is typical of drug addicts who are willing to do just
about anything to get that next fix,” Lt. Vernon said. “Imagine how
many crimes just one crook like this can do in a day; that’s why it’s so
important they serve as much of their jail sentences as possible.”

Anyone with information on this crime is urged to call Detective William
Cooper, Mission Burglary Unit, at 818-838-9866. Anonymous tips can be
called into Crimestoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477), or by texting 274637
(C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages
should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Online tips may be placed at
www.LAPDOnline.org, click on “webtips” and follow the prompts.

Los Angeles: On Thursday, November 15, 2012, at around 10:50 p.m.,
unknown suspect(s), possibly in a Dodge vehicle, shot 30- year old Triny
Lopez. Lopez was driving his vehicle on the 800 block of Marine Ave in
the City of Wilmington, when he was struck in the torso. Los Angeles
Fire Department ambulance responded and pronounced Lopez dead at the
scene. Lopez was a member of a gang known as the Eastside Wilmas.
However, it is unknown if this incident was gang related.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Harbor Area
Homicide Detectives Rodriguez or Oliva at 310-726-7887 or 310-726-7880
During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to
1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous
should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters
may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637
(C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages
should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to
www.lapdonline.org, and click on "Anonymous Web Tips.”

November 15, 2012

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Detectives assigned to Robbery Homicide Division have made an arrest in the June 17, 2012, shooting death of Armando Casillas.

On June 17, 2012, around 11:15 p.m., Mission Area patrol officers were
flagged down by citizens in the 14000 block of Beaver Street in Sylmar.
Officers were directed to a 38-year-old Sylmar resident, Armando
Casillas, who was suffering from a gunshot wound. Casillas was
transported to Providence Holy Cross Hospital where he was pronounced
dead. A second victim was shot at by the assailant at the time of the
homicide. The second victim was not injured.

Mission Homicide detectives began to investigate the murder and
developed leads that possibly connected a deputy sheriff to the crime.
As the case progressed, Robbery Homicide Division assumed primary
investigative responsibility because the suspect was a possible deputy
sheriff. On November 14, 2012, working in partnership with Mission
Homicide Detectives, Robbery Homicide Division Detectives arrested
41-year-old Francisco Gamez for murder. Francisco Gamez is a deputy with
the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Gamez was later booked for
murder and the additional charges of attempted murder and use of a
firearm during the commission of a felony. Gamez was booked into the
77th Street Jail and held on four million dollars bail.

Detectives are preparing the case for filing with the District Attorney’s Office.

Anyone with information about this investigation is urged to call
Robbery Homicide Division, Detectives Louis Zorrilla or Maria Perez at
213-486-6890. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be
directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain
anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).
Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number
274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text
messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to
www.lapdonline.org, and click on "Anonymous Web Tips.”

November 14, 2012

Today, Mr. Johnson was located and reunited with his family. He is in good health.

Los Angeles: The family of Lamont Johnson and the Los Angeles Police Department are asking for the public’s help to locate him.

Johnson was last seen on October 27, 2012, around 8:00 p.m. at his
residence in the 5000 block of 3rd Avenue in the City of Los Angeles.
Johnson left his residence and has not returned. Johnson’s family is
very concerned about his unexplained disappearance because he has never
gone missing before. Johnson’s family also stated that he suffers from
diabetes and does not have his medication.

Johnson
is described as a 43-year-old African American, with a clean shaven
head, brown eyes, and a mustache. He stands 6 feet 1 inch tall and
weighs 195 pounds.

If you have seen, or have any information regarding the whereabouts of
Lamont Johnson, please contact the Los Angeles Police Department’s
Missing Persons Unit, Detective Merrill at (213) 996-1800. During
non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to
1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous
should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters
may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637
(C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages
should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to
LAPDOnline.org, click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.

Los Angeles: On November 12, 2012 around 8 p.m., LAPD Hollenbeck Area officers responded to a “Screaming
Woman Call” in El Sereno Park. Officers arrived and met with witnesses
who stated they saw a man and a woman arguing in the park. It was
reported that the male struck the victim in the face and then began to
drag her by the hair into the dark hillside. The victim was screaming
for help but the witnesses were unable to get close enough to help her.
The Male Suspect and Victim disappeared into the darkness of the night
up the hill. LAPD Officers immediately established a perimeter around
the park area and began to search for the Victim and the Suspect

The young victim was described as a 13 to 15-year-old female, petite in
size with a light complexion. The suspect was described as an 18 to
21-year-old male Hispanic. He stands at 6 feet tall and weighs around
200 lbs. He was described as “Clean Cut”

The search was bolstered immediately by our LAPD helicopter and K-9
resources. Officers searched the hillside all night until the terrain
and darkness began to become an extreme hazard. The search was suspended
around 4:00 am the following morning and resumed as soon as the sun
came up again. This morning we expanded our resources to include LAPD
K-9 teams, Mounted Unit, and our SWAT Team who are specially trained for
to operate under these extreme conditions.

Additional
resources responded from Los Angeles Fire Department's Urban Search and
Rescue Team, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue
team from Sierra Madre and Citizen Volunteers from the Community
Emergency Mobile Patrol (CEMP). More than 200 emergency responders are
actively searching for this young girl.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to call Hollenbeck
Detectives at 323-342-4110. During non-business hours or on weekends,
calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone
wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS
(800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to
phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All
text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also
go to www.lapdonline.org, and click on "Anonymous Web Tips.”

Los Angeles: This year more than
two thousand Hollenbeck community members have been victims of
auto-related thefts. To help prevent this number from rising, the Los
Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) “Lock it, Hide it, Keep it” Program
will be a key aspect in this effort. Community members will be informed
of the number of Grand Theft Auto/Burglary/Thefts from Motor Vehicles
(GTA/BFMV/BTFV) that have occurred and will be given a few simple steps
to harden the target and minimizing being victimized.

Part of the strategy has been to hold community and neighborhood watch
meetings to highlight the “Lock It, Hide It, Keep It,” campaign, raising
awareness of the problem and providing a simple, but effective message.
In an effort to keep that message from fading, the LAPD has joined
together with Council Districts 1 and 14, local hospitals and
businesses, such as White Memorial Medical Center, Northgate Market and
SL Marketing, to come up with innovative ways to continue to spread the
message through various advertising mediums.

Council Districts 1 and 14 have incorporated the message into their
weekly e-blasts that reaches approximately 9,500 citizens in our
community. Northgate Market customers are receiving the “Lock It, Hide
It, Keep It” message in their grocery bags from November to the end of
the year.

For the next two months, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)
will include the “Lock It, Hide It, Keep It” flyer in students’
take-home folders. These flyers will find their way into nearly 15,000
students’ homes.

The combined efforts and generous contributions of our business and City
partners provided the means to get the “Lock It, Hide It, Keep It”
message to thousands of Hollenbeck residents.

The LAPD wishes to thank the following individuals and companies for
their valued partnership with LAPD and fellow citizens of the Hollenbeck
community:

As the Holiday shopping season begins, auto-related theft crimes
historically increase approximately 6%. The LAPD wants to remind
everyone of the simple steps that can be taken to protect vehicles and
valuables.

Our message is simple:

• Lock It: Lock your vehicle every time you leave it unattended and take your valuables with
you.
• Hide It: If you are going to leave property in your vehicle, hide your valuables in your
trunk, under the seats, in the glove box, or other compartments within the vehicle. When
possible, take your property with you.
• Keep It: Personal responsibility is the best prevention to safeguard personal property and
to prevent becoming a victim.

These simple steps can deter and prevent auto-related crimes.

For further information, please contact Sergeant I Minh Nguyen, at 213-793-0747.

• Police Commission President Andrea Ordin said she attended the California for Safety and Justice Conference with Chief Charlie Beck and a host of other prominent law enforcement leaders last week. She said there were several excellent presentations which discussed implementation of changes in the prison justice system.

• Police Commissioner Robert Saltzman said he attended the LGBTQ Forum held last week at the Police Administration Building. He said there were more than 100 people in attendance and the crowd was very diverse. Commissioner Saltzman stated it was a good, positive event which represents the positive outreach the Department has done in that community in recent years.

• Police Commissioner Rafael Bernardino said he attended the True Blue event benefiting the Los Angeles Police Foundation this past weekend. He said it was a really nice event with lots of funds raised that will go to a good cause.

• Police Chief Charlie Beck thanked the Commissioners for their attendance at the True Blue, LGBTQ, and Safety & Justice events this past week. He said these events were a remarkable example of outreach done by the Department to strengthen their ties within the community. Chief Beck also stated he joined a panel discussion with Ms. Connie Rice and Deputy Chief Bob Green to discuss the changes in the policing style in the Department post-Rodney King incident. He said members from the Israeli police force were in attendance.

• The Inspector General’s report, dated November 7, 2012, relative to the property room inspection, Van Nuys, 2012, was approved. Inspector General Alexander Bustamante informed the Board the inspection revealed everything was in order and there were no issues at all to report.

• The Department’s report, dated October 29, 2012, relative to the Blake-Justice Consent Decree – Fiscal Year 2011-2012 annual report, as given by Deputy Chief Sandy Jo MacArthur, was approved and transmitted to the Personnel Department, Public Safety Bureau, Recruitment and Selection Division. Chief MacArthur informed the Board the Department’s current ranks are composed of 19.2% females which is approximately 4-6% higher than the national average. She added the Department attempts to have each new recruiting class be comprised of 20% females. Chief MacArthur stated families of potential recruits play a big part in the recruitment process and said the Department needs to do a better job working with the families earlier in the process.

• The Department’s report, dated November 9, 2012, relative to the transmittal of the grant application for the 2012 Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Continuations Programs, was approved and transmitted to the Mayor and City Council.

• The Department’s report, dated November 6, 2012, relative to the request for authority to destroy obsolete records – original/official records for Motor Transport Division, was approved and transmitted to the City Clerk, Records Management Officer.

• The Department’s report, dated November 6, 2012, relative to the request for authority to destroy obsolete records – original/official records for South Traffic Division, was approved and transmitted to the City Clerk, Records Management Officer.

Los Angeles:
On Tuesday, November 13, 2012, a Los Angeles Police Officer, Richard
Amio, and a former Los Angeles Police Officer, Evan Samuel, were found
guilty of lying under oath four years ago regarding a narcotics case.
The officers are to be sentenced in December.

The Los Angeles Police Department holds our officers to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.

Officer Samuel is no longer a Los Angeles Police Officer and Officer
Amio is facing the adjudication of his internal complaint. Individuals
convicted of a felony in California are ineligible to remain employed as
police officers.

"I am truly saddened by the events that led to the perjury conviction of
a current and a former Los Angeles Police Officer" said LAPD Chief
Charlie Beck. “As I said when the charges were filed, I do not believe
their intent was evil, just extremely misguided. The character of our
organization is defined by the conduct that we condone. These actions
were entirely unacceptable."

November 12, 2012

Los Angeles:
On Sunday, November 11, 2012, at around 5:a.m., a vehicle versus
pedestrian traffic accident occurred in the 8100 block of Lankershim
Boulevard in the city of North Hollywood. A black GMC S15 pick-up truck
travelling south on Lankershim struck a pedestrian, and fled the scene.

A witness called the police and Los Angeles Fire Department. Personnel
responded to find a 72 year-old male lying in the street. He sustained
severe injuries and was transported to a local hospital for medical
treatment where he was pronounced dead.

A 21-year-old male Hispanic was transported to a local hospital two
hours later due to a separate unrelated traffic collision occurring on
the I-5 freeway. Property possibly belonging to the 72-year-old male
was in the possession of the 21-year-old. Further investigation
revealed that the 21-year-old was involved in the fatal hit and run
prior to the freeway accident. He is currently receiving medical
treatment and will be booked upon release for suspicion of 20001 VC
(felony hit and run).

The investigation is continuing and Valley Traffic detectives are
searching for witnesses who may have seen the collision or assisted with
changing a flat tire in the area of Lankershim and Sherman Way.

Please contact Detective Krajchir, Valley Traffic Detectives
818-644-8034 or Detective Laurino, Valley Traffic Detectives
818-644-8115, or Detective Bustos, Valley Traffic Detectives
818-644-8021. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be
directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain
anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).
Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number
274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text
messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to
www.lapdonline.org, and click on "Anonymous Web Tips.”